Report: Woman said Kentucky lawmaker made unwanted advances

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The girl who accused Kentucky’s outdated Rental speaker of sexual harassment acknowledged in a deposition that the lawmaker made more than 50 unwanted sexual advances whereas she worked for the Rental Republican Caucus, according to media accounts of the girl’s testimony.

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting and Kentucky Public Radio on Wednesday published particulars of the girl’s sealed deposition in which she described “shut to day-to-day touching” and acknowledged she feared hurting her profession if she reported notify Get hang of. Jeff Hoover’s actions.

The girl, who gave the testimony as part of whistleblower lawsuits filed by two others who worked on the Kentucky notify Capitol in Frankfort, acknowledged she and Hoover by no manner had *** but that he touched her sexually without her consent, the investigative records group reported.

The girl, identified within the report as Jane Doe, acknowledged under oath within the deposition closing October that Hoover groped her within the hallway or within the elevator and touched her between her legs under the table at gatherings, the media report acknowledged. She moreover testified she sent Hoover a **** photo of herself at his demand — she acknowledged she felt pressured to achieve so because he used to be her boss — and that he “used to be grabbing at my lingerie and touching between my legs” in his truck after a workers dinner.

She testified that Hoover once asked her to spread her legs so he can also seek up her dress, and in a single other event, acknowledged he came up within the relieve of her at work and lifted her dress so he can also “seek at my lingerie.” She acknowledged she didn’t support in mind it consensual.

The records organizations didn’t direct how they obtained the doc.

Hoover and his attorney, Leslie Vose, did no longer all of a sudden respond to phone calls Wednesday on the lookout for remark.

Vose urged the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting that “indispensable objects” of the girl’s testimony need closer examination and that she needs to ask the girl in a single other deposition.

Kentucky’s Democratic Social gathering responded to the media report by calling on Hoover and one other Republican lawmaker, notify Get hang of. Michael Meredith, to resign all of a sudden. The girl acknowledged in her testimony that Meredith made a low remark to her at a legislative convention and begged her to bear *** with him. Vose moreover represents Meredith, who moreover did no longer all of a sudden return a name on the lookout for remark.

“The behavior described by the girl they centered and quite rather a lot of witnesses is scary,” notify Democratic Social gathering spokeswoman Marisa McNee acknowledged in an announcement Wednesday. “Republican leadership has no longer renowned this for rather a lot too long, it’s time for them to take motion.”

The notify Republican Social gathering declined remark on whether or no longer Hoover and Meredith must always peaceable resign, but a top birthday celebration qualified acknowledged the GOP-led Rental is taking over the jam of sexual harassment “in a accurate and vital manner.”

Hoover and Meredith were amongst four Republican Rental lawmakers who signed a secret $a hundred and ten,000 sexual harassment settlement with the girl. Hoover, the notify’s first GOP Rental speaker in shut to a century, resigned from the cease leadership publish in early 2018 but saved his legislative seat. Hoover and Meredith were re-elected closing 365 days whereas the quite rather a lot of two lawmakers opted no longer to flee for re-election. There were no prison costs filed related to the accusations.

Hoover has denied he sexually pressured the girl but acknowledged sending her what he known as rotten but consensual text messages.

Ancient Rental GOP Communications Director Daisy Olivo and ex-Rental Clerk Brad Metcalf acknowledged they reported the harassment allegations but were punished by GOP lawmakers on the lookout for to quilt it up. They both filed lawsuits in notify court docket. The outdated legislative aide identified as Jane Doe gave her deposition as part of these suits. Her attorney, Gail Langendorf, declined remark Wednesday on the media report detailing the deposition.

An attorney for Hoover and Meredith needs to contaminated-peek the staffer in a single other deposition, having known because it a matter of equity.

Two judges issued conflicting orders on the demand. One judge shielded the girl from the discover-up deposition, whereas one other judge acknowledged he would allow the girl to be compelled to testify every other time. Langendorf acknowledged she will jam allowing the lawmakers’ attorney to depose her client, saying they’d potentialities to litigate her claims beforehand but didn’t attain so.

“That ship has sailed, so far as we’re concerned,” she acknowledged in a phone interview.

Closing 365 days, the Legislative Examine Commission gave Hoover a public reprimand and fined him $1,000. The commission dismissed ethics complaints towards the quite rather a lot of three lawmakers.